chemical-free, safe antimicrobial treatments that target specific harmful bacteria while conserving the microbiome’s beneficial microorganisms. Felix’s concept may be used to address a wide variety of troublesome bacterial species, and the company’s numerous continuing collaborations with personal care and cosmetics industries aim to produce phage-based remedies. This agreement has now expanded to include their line of animal health products.
Natalie Ma, PhD, co-founder and head of business development at Felix, expressed hopes over the company’s new treatment for pets. She said, “We are committed to finding a better solution for this common affliction plaguing pets and distressing their owners. Through our unique approach to phage technologies, we will create a safe, chemical-free, durable and effective treatment for this pernicious pathogen.”
Bacteriophage, also known as phage, are extremely small viruses that infect and destroy bacteria. Felix uses machine learning and synthetic biology to design phage in order to address the two fundamental barriers to the widespread deployment of current phage technologies: narrow spectrum and phage resistance.
Holly Ganz, PhD, chief science officer of AnimalBiome, expressed delight over the partnership and spoke about the company’s specialized animal products. He said, “At AnimalBiome, we are focused on providing new microbiome-focused solutions to help pets and their owners. Phage technology offers great promise in reducing the use of antibiotics in the treatment of bacterial pathogens, protecting beneficial microbes, and supporting better health and wellness”. She added, “We are excited to work with Felix to develop new products specifically designed for pathogens afflicting companion animals”.